Seven men who robbed jewellery shop sentenced to death

Seven men who robbed a jewellery shop have been sentenced to death by firing squad and crucifixion.

They were due to be killed today but Saudi Arabia's royal family postponed the executions for week after an outcry from human rights groups.  

Sarhan al-Mashayekh was one of seven men whose death sentences were confirmed by King Abdullah on Saturday. 

It was decided that he would crucified for three days and the six other men were to face firing squads.

Earlier today one of the men sentenced to death appealed for help.

Speaking from Abha General prison yesterday Nasser al-Qahtani said that he was arrested as part of 23-member ring that stole from jewellery stores in 2004 and 2005. 

He said they were tortured to confess and had no access to lawyers. 

'I killed no one. I didn't have weapons while robbing the store, but the police tortured me, beat me up and threatened to assault my mother to extract confessions that I had a weapon with me,' he said. 'We don't deserve death.' 

A leading human rights group added its appeal to Saudi authorities to stop the executions. 

Al-Qahtani, said he and the most of the ring were juveniles at the time of the thefts.

They were arrested in 2006. The seven received death sentences in 2009, the Saudi newspaper Okaz reported then. 

Last Saturday, he said, Saudi King Abdullah ratified the death sentences and sent them to Abha. 

Authorities set today for the executions. They also determined the methods. 

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/